Tom Biggins - Tom Biggins - Parliamentary Candidate

30th July, 2010

Honest food campaign

Thursday February 26, 2009

Tom Biggins has called for clearer food labelling, so that products that are labelled British can only come from animals born and bred in Britain.

“When you buy a 'British' pork pie, you probably assume that the pork comes from Britain. In fact, meat from abroad can be imported into Britain to be processed into bacon, sausages and pies which can then be labelled to suggest they are British.

“We think this is dishonest. People have a right to know where their food comes from. Meat labelled 'British' should be born and bred in Britain, raised to our high welfare standards.”

Consumers should be free to choose food from any country, but real choice requires real information. So the Conservatives are demanding honest 'country of origin' labelling to restore trust and allow people to choose British food with confidence.

Clearer labelling will:

- Allow consumers to make informed choices about the food they buy
- Prevent non-British meat being labelled as British
- Support British producers by allowing consumers to identify genuine British meat;
- Promote superior British produce by highlighting the advantages of British produce
- Restore trust and confidence in British food and labelling in general

Tom stressed: “’Honest Food’ is not about protectionism – consumers should be free to choose food from any country. Clear labelling will empower consumers, not restrict their options.

"Other EU countries fight for the interests of their consumers and their farming industry within the trading rules. It’s time for the British Government to show the same spine.

“Our call for ‘country of origin’ labelling is endorsed by farming and animal welfare organisations - including the NFU and RSPCA; and our Honest Food campaign is endorsed by food celebrities including Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall and Clarissa Dickson Wright.”

ICM SURVEY

We commissioned ICM to conduct a survey into public attitudes towards food labelling. The results show that a majority of the public support our call for ‘country of origin’ food labelling.

Nearly two thirds (62 per cent) of people would like to know which country the food they buy comes from. Women were even keener than men to know the origin of their food products, with 67 per cent of female respondents wanting to know their origin, in comparison to 57 per cent for men.

A huge majority (87 per cent) agreed that the Government should ensure that the country of origin is displayed clearly on food. Only a small minority (13 per cent) thought that it shouldn’t.

Half of voters (51 per cent) believe that a product such as sausages or bacon labelled as British or “produced in the UK” meant that it was from an animal reared in Britain. 44 per cent thought that it meant that the sausages or bacon were processed here using imported meat – but this follows extensive publicity about the origin of pork products in Jamie Oliver’s campaign.

89 per cent of voters felt that a meat product labelled as British or “produced in the UK” should mean that it was from an animal reared in Britain.

When asked about how they would shop if food was clearly labelled with its country of origin, over half of voters (53 per cent) said that they would buy British food even if it had a slightly higher price. A further third (33 per cent) would buy British provided it was no more expensive. Only 13 per cent stated that they would buy the cheapest food whatever its origin.

Nearly half (48 per cent) of lower income voters (DE) said that they would buy British even if it cost a bit more, and fewer than a fifth said they would buy the cheapest possible option.

Another overwhelming majority of voters (89 per cent) agreed that Britain should seek to grow more of our food as it has become too dependent on imports.

(ICM Research interviewed a random sample of 1002 adults aged 18+ by telephone on 11-12th February 2009. Interviews were conducted around the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules).

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TOM'S PLEDGES

Vote For Change

The General Election has been called and Tom Biggins has set out his pledges for the Telford constituency. Should he be elected as Telford's MP, this is the work he will be concentrating on:

KEY POLICIES

These are just some of the steps a Conservative Government will take to get our country back on track:

Enable a two-year freeze on Council Tax
More funding for the NHS and to continue the fight to save services at the PRH
Restoring the link between the state pension and earnings
Keeping free bus passes, free TV licences and the winter fuel allowance
Radical reform of the immigration system with an annual limit imposed
‘Never’ to Britain joining the Euro
We would restore teachers’ authority in the classroom
400,000 apprenticeships, college and training places to boost job numbers
Laws strictly enforced to tackle drug and alcohol abuse
Police power to use instant sanctions to deal with anti-social behaviour
An extra 4,200 health visitors to support new parents across the country

Click here for more steps:

Vote Biggins - a record of action

The choice at this election

Local news

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Conservative Party Chairman, Eric Pickles, has paid a visit to Telford to meet with local residents ahead of next week’s General Election.

Ken Clarke visit gives rallying start to Telford’s General Election campaign
Off to a rallying start, Tom Biggins’ General Election campaign to become the first Conservative MP in Telford gained Ministerial support today with a visit to the town by Shadow Minister, Ken Clarke.

Stop Labour’s tax on jobs and working people from killing the recovery
Tom Biggins, Conservative Candidate for Telford, today gave his backing to new Conservative plans to stop a new jobs tax on working families and local firms across the West Midlands.

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National news

Home Secretary announces radical police shake-up
Theresa May has unveiled plans to re-establish the link between the police and the public.

Championing British business abroad
David Cameron announces a new commercially-minded focus to Foreign Office activities.

National Citizen Service to be piloted
David Cameron announces plans for National Citizen Service pilot schemes next summer.

Cameron discusses key issues with President Obama
David Cameron is undertaking his first official visit to the United States since becoming Prime Minister.

More News...

Conservative policies

Want to know what the Conservative policy is on your issue? Click here to search for the issues that matter most to you. For a copy of the manifesto published on 13th April 2010 click here.

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Contact Tom

Write to: Tom Biggins, Broadway House, 2 Haygate Road, Wellington, Telford, TF1 1SG

Telephone: 01952 253473

Email: tom@tombiggins4telford.com

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